Just about a week later from their little pact of alliance, White and A2 stood on the deck of a Resistance ship, with them the rest of the YoRHa, who wanted to accompany them, Anemone, that too had people to mourn, and Jackass, who was aiding in keeping the ship working.

Robin stood at 9S' side, he had requested to try and take the helm of the ship, to learn how to steering worked with the aid of the human, both of the Number 2 YoRHas sitting close by, with 2B against the railing and looking out at the sea, while A2 sat down at her side, watching her lover and the Scanner chat about, to distract herself from wandering thoughts.

Jackass has disappeared somewhere below deck, where the supplies were. They made sure to have plenty of spare clothing, water, repair materials and medical ones, since the trip was all but short.

Without Devola and Popola, the responsibility to keep them going if anything happened fell on 9S and 6O, now that the Operator was an H type unit, honestly more useful than what her role consisted of before now that she was on Earth.

And 6O did want to make herself as useful as the others did, which was why she spent the previous days with the twins, learning all she could about their medical expertise, so should it be needed, the others had nothing to worry about.

Currently she was sitting on deck, a bunch of Lunar Tears in hand, Emil had insisted they'd take some of the flowers of the cave as a gift to mourn the passing of A2's friends, how very kind of him.

They picked out exactly nine of them, one for each person.

Right now 6O was in the middle of attaching a small plastic bag with a bit of water to the stem, so they'd live longer, and somehow had dragged White into helping her too.

The flowers were divided in smaller groups too, like both A2 and Anemone requested she'd do. A testament of how many people died and in a certain place.

Two groups of four flowers, one for Number 16, Lily, Dahlia and Gerbera, when they died before they had reached the hall of the elevator.

The second for Number 4, Rose, Margaret and Daisy, who died in the server room before A2's eyes.

And then one singular lonely one, for Number 21…

Anemone rolled the delicate thing between her fingers, observing how it still glowed despite being plucked away from its soil. She'd be the one to bring Number 21 her own flower, she needed to, had to.

She had already failed to keep her end of the promise she'd made to the woman, this would be the least she could do now, to show her that she hadn't been forgotten, wherever she was.

Humans had a weird concept of death, they believe there was an afterlife where the souls went to rest, and it is believed that the dead watched over their loved ones from there, or so Robin had explained, she too hoped that the people she lost were doing the same thing, she hadn't said it, but her words hinted at it.

Anemone supposed it could be similar to when an android was just left as a consciousness without a body, though wouldn't that mean they were still alive? Since they could be transferred into another body, that wasn't quite a death, because they could come back again. While humans had no such opportunity, besides the very own one that stood between them.

She sighed, would Number 21 be watching too? Would she be angry that she didn't keep her promise?

Probably.

Because as calm as she was, she doubted that there was nothing in the world that didn't pick at her nerves. She'd actually been the one to see the most of her seriousness crumble away the most.

If she closed her eyes and focused hard enough, she could almost feel Number 21's lithe frame under her palms again.

Quite the privilege the Scanner allowed her to see, feel, and hear too.

Anemone gave yet another sigh, here they were all to mourn them, and she was thinking about that night again. Still, it had been the closest she could have been to the woman.

Sometimes she'd dream of it even, ever disappointed to not see her presence at her side once she woke up. She had stayed the whole night, and even woke up after Anemone did, that allowed her to just watch her sleep for some time.

She'd been completely enamored by this Scanner that was as smart as she was emotionally naive, this soldier that couldn't fight, but that so much wanted to protect those she cared about.

There was a constant conflict within her, and Anemone felt drawn from wanting to cleanse her doubts.

With each word and action the redhead had conquered her with too much ease, for someone that swore off any kind of relationship, when she'd seen the ones her friends had created being torn apart from the machines, and if it wasn't them it was the virus.

After Number 21 had proven to be capable of contrasting the virus by showing them she could heal Lily with just the power of her brain, Anemone believed that plague to be gone with just her simple presence.

How wrong she'd been…

Number 21 had fallen victim of that awful thing herself.

Hadn't she shot her, the Scanner would have become a mindless shell of herself, and to this day Anemone wasn't sure she would have wanted to see that happen.

The sound of heavy boots distracted her from her thoughts, and it was none other than the woman that had taken Number 21's heritage, at least personality wise. Anemone was glad the looks weren't the same, it was already hard enough to distinguish 2B from the younger Number 2 sometimes.

The former Operator was now a Battler unit too, something made especially known today, from the clothing she wore. She had salvaged what she could from the heavy armor she had been wearing, the boots and gloves, and part of her bodysuit, minus the heavy contraption on the back, she had got rid of it.

Under it, she wasn't wearing a see through cloth like 6O anymore, opting for a heavier and black one. She did look strong though.

When she'd been asked as to why wear such heavy armor she had just replied that it would be better to be safe, since they were still entering unknown territory. Or perhaps it was just insecurity in her own ability.

The rest of the YoRHa, minus A2 for obvious reasons, had gotten back their former gear too, including their Commander, or whatever she was supposed to be right now.

The blonde Operator sat down next to her, though not too close, keeping her distance.

"Is there something wrong?" Anemone asked as 21O shook her head.

"Nothing at all, you just appeared… lonely. I hope I am not disrupting any thoughts." in fact she was, but the Resistance Leader was not going to say it.

"I realized you and I don't really know each other yet, I have been keeping my distance from you given what A2 told me about my predecessor. This must be quite heavy for you two."

Anemone just nodded. "It is." she allowed herself a glance to her friend and companion, who now had her back turned and was watching the sea ahead of them, her long white mane swaying in the wind.

With the corner of her eye she could spot the human keeping her eyes on her too, even if she'd been preoccupied with steering the ship.

"It looks like Number 2 is handling it better than me though."

Suddenly, the words 21O said about loneliness struck harder than before. Number 2 had Robin to count on when things got bad, and she knew the human would always be there to aid her, she'd seen it.

Glancing on deck she spotted 2B and 9S, with the boy now tired, resting his head on the woman's shoulder as they quietly sat in a corner.

Jackass somehow managed to drag White into a conversation with her.

And then there was 21O right at her side, which had 6O who loved her.

Who did she have left? No one…

Again she glanced down at the flower meant for Number 21, silently cursing the universe for taking her, and everyone else away from her and Number 2…

But Number 2 had been able to move on from her past with Number 4, and find someone again. Her? Not so much.

She hadn't even tried.

"You are right though…" she spoke, almost in a whisper. "I do feel a bit lonely…"

She just hadn't noticed before because of all her duties, the war, and then when it was over she'd been preoccupied to aid Number 2 and all the others. She wasn't alone by any means, none of them truly were, but she did feel lonely sometimes, wishing she too had someone to love at her side again.

"I… killed her… with my own hands…"

This 21O didn't expect, she hadn't imagined it had ended up that way between them, though A2 had never gone into details and she never asked again to tell her about her Scanner predecessor. Didn't feel appropriate.

She had just assumed she died in some way, not like that…

Not wanting to be rude, 21O didn't speak, waiting for Anemone to continue her tale if she wanted to.

"When we met, I didn't think any of the YoRHa were worth anything. While we were more familiar with the concept of Attackers and Gunners, none of us had any idea what a Scanner was supposed to do either. She was just there, collecting data for her companions, and nothing else. She couldn't fight and she was so damn calm about everything that I believed she was just a doll with no emotions." she gave a small laugh.

"She proved me wrong on so many levels." again before her eyes flashed the image of Number 21 standing in front of them all, pleading to spare Lily, a show of bravery Anemone wasn't sure she'd be able to do.

"One of our comrades got infected by a logic virus, we didn't know how to deal with it but to kill the person, before they killed us, it was then that she showed us what she was capable of."

You can't give up before you exhaust every possibility, she had said.

"Despite having known us for just a bunch of hours, she put her life on the line for someone she barely knew." Anemone looked at Number 2 again. "And her comrades supported her from the beginning, without hesitation, and with much surprise, so did I."

She had decided to believe in the impossible, she'd been so tired of losing people she loved, to point her gun at them and watch them crumble to pieces after the shots were fired. Number 21 had been determined in offering a way out, that determination had shattered all the doubts she had on her in a mere instant.

"We watched our friend that had become a mindless monster turn back to normal, and it was then we all decided to believe in those new androids, and to truly put our own lives at risk to accomplish their mission with them, because they were worth it, they were part of our family."

Even though they had a new family now, Anemone didn't know what she would give to see her old one at her side again, and she was sure Number 2 thought the same.

If only all of them could be together again…

She was positive that Rose and the others would have liked having these new androids around, that they would easily get along with one another.

"Eventually we had reached the mountain, and the elevator hall, not before having to leave some of ours behind. Number 21 had once again opened the path for us, hacking the elevator with her skills, however, she hadn't joined us, having to stay behind to ensure we could get to our destination."

She could still hear the strain in her voice as she spoke.

"Number 2 and Number 4 however didn't want her to stay behind, and when she screamed at them to hurry and leave, I knew, I just knew something was wrong… so I stayed behind with her."

She had tried hard to hide the fact she was suffering behind that hood of hers.

"It took me one look and I knew…" Number 21 had even made somewhat of a joke of her terrible sixth sense, even in that situation. "I knew that the same infection had gotten her, and it had been too strong for her to fight it, the machines adapted it so it could attack even her superior systems."

She'd never forget how red her eyes were, yet, a flicker of blue had remained until the end.

"The willpower she had, to hold out for so long for the sake of her friends…" out of instinct, her free hand drew out her gun. "I shot her with this same weapon, which is a symbol of an unkempt promise."

"I'll join you soon, I told her… and yet, here I am still…" her green eyes fixed themselves on that flower she was bringing to her.

"I wonder if she's mad at me now, or if she's still waiting."

"While I am not her, assuming I do share a similar personality, I have reason to believe she probably wouldn't be angry at you for surviving. A2 told me I was just about to kill 9S when I was infected myself, if I did, I would have never been able to forgive myself if I harmed him. As long as he was safe then it didn't count if I died, I'd do it again if I had to." 21O spoke for the first time after Anemone started her tale.

"I guess what I am trying to say is that I'd be glad to die knowing the people I care about survived, so I'm pretty positive that she wouldn't be mad at you for it, especially not if she could see all that you've created after, by leading the Resistance and aiding us. Besides, she doesn't sound like the type that would hold a grudge." she surely wouldn't, not if in exchange there was the life and happiness of who she cared about.

As for the other fact, if her predecessor would still be waiting for Anemone to keep her promise she couldn't know.

"She had made her way in my heart with her way of being somewhat naive, despite all she knew she didn't know how to live properly, I wanted her to experience it. I hadn't realized just how much I had fallen for her until it all came down to me having to take her life away."

The fact that Number 21 had asked her to didn't help the case, if anything, it hurt more.

"And now it's too late."

But 21O had other ideas.

"Sometimes I'd read about humans visiting their dead loved ones, some stories said that they would speak with them, tell them things, as if they wanted them to know how their lives were going even though they weren't there anymore. Perhaps you should try telling her anyway."

What did she have to lose out of it?

"I… I'll consider it…" why not give it a chance?

"Thank you, 21O." the blonde shook her head. "It is nothing. I love taking care of the people I care about too."

After all, weren't she and Number 21 similar?

"For what is worth, I am glad not everything of those girls had been forgotten, you being similar to Number 21, 6O being similar to Number 4. I am not sure where the personality of Number 16 stands, though for how aggressively protective some of you appear to be I'd say not all of her has been wasted either."

She just wished something remained of her companions too, besides the memories she had.

Almost a day later, the group managed to arrive at their destination, and the view awaiting them was anything but pleasant. What once was a mountain now was nothing more than a smoking crater of burned rocks.

There was nothing else for miles and miles, the explosion had destroyed and burned away everything there was, wiping away not only the machines but the local wildlife too, animal and not.

Robin wondered if this would have been how Ohara had looked back then too, but she'd never gone back to see, she couldn't, if she didn't want to attract suspicions on herself.

Her heart ached at the sight, but she was sure someone else was hurting even more.

Both A2 and Anemone stood side by side, while in a corner there was White, all three had the flowers in hand, as they were the ones that participated in this madness.

But all three struggled to look at the destruction laid bare before them.

"It's so desolate…" 6O's comment came in a whisper that found agreement all around.

"This once used to be such an imposing mountain…" 9S had a screen before him with how the place looked before, and nothing of it remained now.

White had been the one that took courage to take the first step forward, she'd been responsible for this devastation, even if indirectly, this was what her orders had caused, other than a lot of victims.

She had asked the council if this had been necessary, all this death…

Of course for them it had been, they never considered them alive in the slightest, just weapons to be used. So then why not use just actual weapons then?

If the bomb in Number 4's chest could cause all of this alone, why sacrifice lives and not just use that bomb without needing to kill someone for it? It would have still been for nothing, because humans wouldn't have returned, but it would have spared many lives and a lot of suffering from all sides.

Particularly for the two women that dragged her here, but if she had to be honest, she should have come here and paid her respects and apologies much sooner than now.

Now it was late, it always would have been.

But she was determined to prove she hadn't wanted any of this to happen, which was why she took action first, while the others followed.

It wasn't for forgiveness, it was because she wanted to.

Behind her, Robin followed her with her eyes, while with one arm she held A2 around her waist, supporting her, 2B on her other side staying close by, and 9S holding the Battler's hand.

The two Operators instead went at Anemone's side, 21O in particular wanting to stick close to the woman for the conversation they had before, while 6O was plainly worried and wanted to bring comfort to whoever needed it.

Though they all did, who more and who less.

They had left Jackass to guard the ship instead, not really wanting her to make unnecessary comments that would disturb the mood, and besides, someone did have to stay behind anyway.

It took them a while to arrive at the center of the crater, the task not made easy from the uneven terrain, but that was from where the explosion set off first, so it must have been the correct place, it had to be, it needed to be.

As soon as they arrived the trio laid down the flowers, the two groups at the sides of the lonely flower that represented Number 21 so it wouldn't look like she'd be all alone.

However none of them could speak as 9S apparently had other ideas, as they watched him look around and tinker with his screens.

"There's data here…"

But he didn't manage to elaborate further than that, because as soon as he touched the screens again, something unknown swept them away, and everything went black.

"Damn 9S… he had to ruin everything…" A2 shook her head as she sat up, but as soon as she did, something no longer made sense.

They weren't at the crater anymore, before her there was the ocean, yet their ship was nowhere to be seen. Also, around her there was no one else but Anemone, whose body flickered of white light as if they were in a hacking cyberspace.

Actually, now that she looked better, she herself was too, and so was the environment before her.

"What is this?" she heard Anemone murmur as she came back to consciousness too.

"I am not sure…" again she looked around, standing up this time. "It looks like a hacking space, yet seems mixed with reality somehow."

"Is this what you guys see when being hacked then?" Anemone turned on herself taking in the fact they were alone too. "Seems like we've been separated."

Whatever was that 9S had done.

Black, void of light.

"Did you hear that?" A2 asked her friend, who nodded.

White, dim light.

A voice? Here?

Though there was no one near them as far as they could see.

Sky, unreachable prayers.

"Should we follow it?" Anemone frowned, could be a trap, but what if it wasn't?

Song, even now.

But who could be singing? Here and now? And yet, they heard this voice of a woman that somehow was familiar to them both.

Sound is distorted.

Shrugging to themselves, they headed in the direction of the sound.

Time is confused.

They began to wonder if these words meant anything in particular.

Sound is stolen away.

In the distance, a figure sitting on the shore could be seen.

Time is lost.

As soon as the figure, woman, finished her little song, she turned her head towards them, as if she knew they were standing there in shock and disbelief.

And yet she had a kind and fond smile on her face just like they remembered her…

That was…

"I have always known you'd come back."